Chapter 23 Yao Family's Eldest Sister-in-Law
Standing at his front door, Yao Weiguo was filled with emotion. Since leaving, he had never imagined he would be able to return. Even though he had come back once two years ago, it was under the guise of visiting relatives.
At this time of year, people are either at work or in school, and even unemployed young people are out having fun. Only Grandpa Yao, Bai Hui, Aunt Zhong, and a few children who are not yet of school age remain in the courtyard.
Grandpa Yao was sunbathing on a recliner when he spotted Yao Weiguo entering the gate with his family. His lips curled in surprise; he had thought his grandson wasn't coming back. The surprise was too sudden.
“Grandpa!” Yao Weiguo, with tears in his eyes, put down his luggage and the child he was carrying, ran to Grandpa Yao and knelt down. “Grandpa, I thought I would never see you again.”
"Good, good to see him back." Grandpa Yao was indeed happy that his grandson was back, but along with his happiness, there was also a trace of worry.
Aunt Zhong has already volunteered to go and call Li Chunying and Yao Deyi.
When Li Chunying received the news, her heart sank. On her way home, her heart pounded even harder. She had met her eldest son's wife once at their wedding, and the experience had truly unsettled her.
Zhang Xiuxiu was already carrying the child and walking around the yard, her eyes darting around, wanting to look at every room. Yao Weiguo pulled her back and pointed to the three western rooms, "This is our home."
Zhang Xiuxiu pouted, feeling wronged and somewhat resentful, but she restrained herself from prying into the other rooms; there would be plenty of opportunities later. She pressed herself against the west room window, peering into each one. She was already deciding where to stay.
Upon seeing this, Old Master Yao's eyelids twitched involuntarily. He just hoped that Li Chunying would return soon so he could go back to his room and lie down.
"I should have come back earlier, but Xiuxiu was pregnant, so I was delayed." He was determined to take the college entrance exam and return in glory, but Xiuxiu became pregnant again, so they decided to stay in the village for the time being. Now his youngest son is five months old, and he has failed the exam three times. He has also realized that he can still take the exam after returning home, so why should he waste his time in the village?
"Oh, okay. Are the children all well?"
"That's good. Two daughters, the youngest is a son."
Li Chunying arrived home first, followed by Yao Deyi and his son, then Yao Deren and his son. Fang Guizhi, upon receiving the news, rushed home even more hurriedly, sincerely thanking Aunt Zhong. She had to rush home, partly to watch the play, and partly because she was afraid her family would suffer losses. Her second son's house wasn't big enough, and she didn't want them to try anything with her. If they did, she really would dare to take a knife and attack them.
"Weiguo will live in this room, squeezing in with his brother. The four of us, mother and daughters, will live in this room, squeezing in with our sisters. We can sleep on the floor if we don't have to." Once the two sisters are married, this room will be theirs. As for the room next to the toilet, let's leave it to his brother. And after Weiguo's parents pass away, the largest room in the middle will naturally be left to the eldest son and grandson.
As soon as Li Chunying entered the room, she heard Zhang Xiuxiu's loud voice and her face turned ugly. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?"
"What's there to say about going back home? Sending letters costs money. We spend all our money on train tickets."
"Mom, open the door quickly, we're exhausted from the journey."
Li Chunying opened the door to the main room, her heart filled with sorrow.
Zhang Xiuxiu handed her son to her mother-in-law, then shooed her two daughters into the house, piling their luggage directly at the doorway of Yao Fanghua's sister's room. "This room is so nicely arranged; city people really live a life of luxury. The best room—why give it to the daughters? The old man and woman aren't thinking straight."
Li Chunying wanted to yell, "That room was reserved for her youngest son's wedding!"
Fang Guizhi wore a look of anticipation, and followed him into the house. Others were considerate, but she wasn't. Besides, she was a member of the Yao family, not an outsider. Her nephew was back, so what was wrong with her coming in to welcome him? Then she saw Yao Deren and his son exchange a glance and silently enter the house. A nephew/brother was back, so it was time to show some hospitality.
"This must be my aunt. I just looked around, and her place is the most spacious in the whole courtyard." Zhang Xiuxiu sat close to Fang Guizhi, her eyes darting around. If only her two younger sisters could go stay with their aunt first.
Fang Guizhi's amused expression froze instantly, followed by a cold laugh, "We already agreed with your mother-in-law and the others that we would take the lion's share of the house, and Weimin would get the job. You can ask your mother-in-law if you don't believe me." You can keep your internal strife to yourselves; don't drag others into it.
Zhang Xiuxiu was unaware of this, and her eyes blazed with fury as she glared at Li Chunying. They were both sons, so why did the younger son get all the good things? Did she think her husband was a freebie?! Now that they both had jobs, the house should belong to Weiguo and her. If her brother-in-law wanted the house, he could try trading his job with his older brother's family!
Zhang Xiuxiu asked Li Chunying for the key to the next room and quickly opened it so that she could make a makeshift bed on the floor for the children to rest.
Li Chunying: "Let the children rest in the inner room first. Huahua and Yuanyuan are staying in that room. We need to discuss it with them first."
"What's there to discuss? I'm the eldest sister-in-law in the family. I'm even sleeping on the floor. Can't those two younger sisters-in-law tolerate this? Are they trying to kick us out?"
"You and your brother can stay in my room. I'll set up a bed in the main room and I'll stay there." His sister's room has a lot of good things, all her treasures. Although they're all in a safe, that's not really safe. He doesn't like this sister-in-law; her eyes are always wandering around. Besides, his sister needs to read or carve at night and go to work during the day. How can the three children get proper rest if they live there?
Li Chunying gave her youngest son an approving look and decided to leave it at that for now, at least to settle him down.
"No, Weiguo still needs to study for his exams and needs a quiet environment. My child and I will stay next door." Ha, I thought this brother-in-law was a good person, but he's definitely after a nice house.
"My older brother needs to study, but I don't? I also want to take the college entrance exam, and I also want a quiet environment." Yao Fangyuan rushed back in a hurry. She heard that her older brother had returned as soon as she entered the alley, and she ran home without taking a breath.
Zhang Xiuxiu didn't take her sister-in-law seriously at all: "Why don't you set up a bed in the main room? Or do you think your uncle's family can let you stay for a while?" It would be better if she left, then the children would have a bed to sleep in.
Yao Fangyuan pointed at Zhang Xiuxiu and cursed her repeatedly, too angry to speak. How could there be such a shameless person! She looked at her older brother, who was keeping his head down and not saying a word! Then she looked at her father. The two of them were really alike; they were indeed father and son.
Yao Fangyuan burst into tears the moment she called out "Mom".
As soon as she started crying, Zhang Xiuxiu's voice grew even louder, her wailing completely drowning out Yao Fangyuan's. "They're bullying us to death! Look at us, a few of us from the countryside, they won't let us live. We can't even sleep on the floor. We all have sons, but the younger one has a house and a job, while the older one has been away in the countryside for years, without food or water, without even a word of concern. Now that he's finally back, they can't accept us and want to drive us away. It's so pitiful that the children are all so young."
Every family dotes on its sons and grandsons. How can a daughter, who will eventually marry out, be allowed to act like a tyrant at home? That's utterly unreasonable!
"Even though I'm married, that room is still mine!" Yao Fangyuan roared.
Zhang Xiuxiu ran straight into the courtyard, shouting, "Listen to this, everyone! What kind of daughter is so shameless? She's married but still covets her parents' house. What kind of logic is that? I've never seen anyone so shameless as to try and seize her parents' property."
Yao Fangyuan was further broken down by Zhang Xiuxiu's shout. She was so angry that she trembled all over and cried so hard that she could hardly breathe. She could only say that men and women are equal now.
"Why doesn't Mom go back to her parents' home and get some of the property?" She'd probably get beaten up by her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.
Zhang Xiuxiu grabbed a brick and tried to smash the lock. Yao Fangyuan and Li Chunying tried to stop her, but they were no match for Zhang Xiuxiu, who had worked in the fields all year round. The three of them struggled at the door, but Zhang Xiuxiu still managed to smash the lock.
Yao Fangyuan was thrown to the ground. Looking at Zhang Xiuxiu who broke down the door, she sat on the ground and burst into tears.
Two little girls were crying in the yard. Yao Weiguo was holding his wailing youngest son and blocking Yao Weimin from going over to help.
A crowd gathered inside and outside the courtyard to watch the spectacle.
This is the scene that Yao Fanghua saw when she returned.
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